A Culminati0n of Err0rs
by IAmSteelius
Summary: After the events of Borderlands 2, the Vault Hunters continue to find loot and explore Pandora. Zer0 plans to venture down a much darker route. He receives a contract from an old friend, but debates completing it. Generally, the enigma of an assassin has no quarrels with killing for money. But the targets? His fellow Vault Hunters.
1. Chapter 1

"Please? Please, please, please, please, please?"

Zer0 scowled, annoyed by Gaige, but refused to look away from his scope. The wind and sand of the arid canyon scratched at his suit and scope, but the assassin was perfectly still, with the Mechromancer, resting on her elbows to his side. He was knelt on top of a ledge; his crosshairs were locked onto a landing pad. 250 meters away, he listened for incoming ships over Gaige's talking, a meter away. "It'll only take like, thirty seconds, Zer0. Pleeeeeease," she persisted.

Zer0 often went on missions to eliminate high value targets, either for money or requests from his fellow Vault Hunters. The missions could range from five minutes to five hours, so he usually went alone. Though some missions, as this one, he needed a partner. He recently damaged his visor, disabling him from calculating wind speeds, marking targets, using radar, or heat vision. So, until he repaired it, he needed someone to be his spotter. He wore the visor, even cracked, to maintain his identity.

He preferred some Vault Hunters over the others, and for good reason. He usually went with Axton, Maya, Mordecai, or Sir Hammerlock. Axton had military discipline, Maya had patience from the Abbey, Mordecai was a fellow sniper, and Hammerlock was a natural hunter. Sure, Zer0 had to put up with his ramblings from time to time, but occasionally Hammerlock would say something particularly useful, so Zer0 recorded everything he said and put up with him.

The rest didn't really pan out. Salvador was too loud, asking Brick to be stealthy would be an insult, and Zer0 was pretty sure Krieg couldn't do math. The only other two he hadn't asked were Lilith and Gaige, and as the rest of the other Vault Hunters were looting, exploring, or sleeping off a hangover, he had to ask one of them. Considering Lilith was out literally melting people's faces off, Gaige was his only option, and Zer0 was regretting it.

"C'mon Zer0, don't you trust me?" Gaige said, interrupting his thoughts. She'd been practically begging him the entire stakeout to experiment with his cloaking and holograph technology. She hoped to implement it on Death Trap, with or without Zer0's permission, but the first option yielded a 478% less chance of getting katana'd.

Zer0 sighed, releasing a mechanical whirring noise. He lowered his rifle and looked at Gaige. "Concentration, please. Ten minutes of just silence. Then you get your way." Gaige stifled a giggle by covering her mouth, nodding. Zer0 shook his head, and then looked back at his sights. He reviewed the mission and layout in his mind, enjoying the silence.

The mission was to stake out a Hyperion drop zone and keep an eye out for a top ranking official. He was supposedly trying to hire an assassin to kill the Vault Hunters, as if it'd work. That'd be yet another number to the Hyperion body count, as the failed assassins were now in the low hundreds. The problem had been the amount of information they gather before they're found out. It's been harming the Crimson Raiders in indirect ways, so it had to stop.

The best way to end the threat was to eliminate the buyer, so the mission was 0 was to spot him at a familiar drop zone, confirm the ID, and kill him. The reinforcements would be heavy, so Zer0 and Gaige were to commandeer a ship and head back to Sanctuary immediately afterward. With their high ground vantage point, they'd need to take a buzzard down to the ships. That was the plan, which was what Gaige knew, but Zer0 had other ideas.

Just over the horizon, he saw Zer0 saw four airships coming in, all inscribed with Hyperion. He heard Gaige say, "Here we go," and raise her assault rifle. He followed the main barge, sights locked on the main door. As it landed, Gaige got up and moved to the Buzzard, prepping the aircraft for ignition. The main door opened, and off stepped the official, surrounded by seven guards, three in the front, four at his back. Zer0 sighted his target, ready to identify him.

The official wore something similar to military fatigues made for the desert. It had additional armor and scarf covering his neck and shoulders. It was definitely the official, light brown complexion, purple eyes, large build, and a scar running from his hairline to his chin, straight down his nose. He had his jaw firm, with eyes locked forward, shoulders tense. He seemed poised, waiting for an attack. Yet at the same time, he seemed content, almost ready. This was not the look of man coming in for a refuel and reload. This was the look of a dead man walking. Someone acceptant of their fate, waiting for a final blow; this was the expression of a double.

Zer0 called out to Gaige, "Target confirmed. I'm taking the shot now. Prepare our exit," and fired eight times killing the official's duplicate and his seven bodyguards in seconds. "Let's get outbound, Gaige."


	2. Chapter 2

Zer0 grabbed hold of the Buzzard as it started to lift off. Gaige was yelling the tune to _Rise of the Valkyries_ as they descended to the ships. Gaige obliterated whoever fired on them with the two miniguns, but the Buzzard still took several hits. Zer0 had his back against the aircraft as he was sniping people from above. Gaige ducked in her seat, barely dodging a buzz axe. She spoke up, saying, "Uh, Zer0, this thing's going down, so I'm going to have to ask you to bail."

Under them were a mass of Hyperion soldiers and loaders. Zer0 fired another round, killing two soldiers. "Understandable. I will thin them out for you. Don't die while I'm gone," Zer0 responded. He leapt from the Buzzard, bringing his legs up and holstering his rifle. Nearly to the ground, he cloaked, drew his katana, and advanced into the soldiers. He swung his blade to the left, killing another pair of soldiers, then dug the katana into a loader and pushed forward, using it as a shield. Zer0 vaulted over the loader, landing on a soldier katana first and ended his life. Zero replaced his katana with his rifle and shot down three more loaders, to which only afterwards did his cloak end.

Gaige rained fire from above, shooting at any potential threats. She seemed to be drawing out the Buzzard's lifespan as long as possible. Zer0 began to run forward, into the ship where the double came from. He dodged through the cargo boxes and fuel tanks, killing anyone daring or dumb enough to try to impede him. He finally entered the ship, walking up the cargo doors. The ship seemed to be mostly clear, except for a small crew trying to repair the ship. One worker turned to see Zer0, and then started yelling, "Hey! You're not supposed to be here!"

Zero shot the man in the chest, saying, "You are correct, sir. Don't worry, I won't kill you all. Just stay clear of me." Apparently, the crew thought that was a fair deal, as no one else advanced on Zer0. He went further inside, heading to the command center. Excluding a few overzealous workers, Zer0 met no opposition through the ship. He finally reached the doors to the command center, which were jammed. With a couple of slices, Zer0 was inside. The place was dimly lit, except for a few small fires and one or two unbroken lights. He walked to the front of the room, where the main controls would be.

As Zer0 reached his destination, several red dots appeared on his chest. Multiple Hyperion soldiers stepped from the shadows. "Wait, that's our man," ordered another man, still in the shadows. He stepped out, revealing himself to be the real Hyperion official. "Off your game, are we?" he said to Zer0, the soldiers still targeting him. Their target dissipated as Zer0 materialized, slicing his way through the room. All of the soldiers dropped at once, leaving the official by himself.

"Have faith, Whitaker. I am forever on guard. What have you this time?" Zer0 said, stepping in front of him. Zer0 put is katana away and extended a hand. After Whitaker shook it, he turned and picked up an echo device from behind him and handed it to Zer0. Zer0 began looking through it as Whitaker debriefed him.

"I'm sure you've noticed the amount of assassins after the Vault Hunters. And with that, I'm sure you've noticed most of them die before they can count you all. So what I have here is a solution to both of our problems." Zer0 noticed there were a few contracts on him, but hardly cared. Of course Whitaker put a price on his head. Zer0 wouldn't trust him if he didn't. What caught his attention was there was no bounty on the rest of the Vault Hunters. Zer0 looked up at Whitaker, saying, "Tell me I'm crazy/Am I understanding this? You are asking me?"

Whitaker nodded, and said, "Not only are you the best assassin I know, but you're close enough for it to work. I've taken the bounty off and personally handed you the assignment." Zer0 turned away thinking. He had killed better people for pettier reasons, but these were his allies. His friends. Whitaker spoke up again. "I understand this seems wrong to ask of you. Yes, they're your people, but I've been giving you contracts for years. I'm not going to lead you astray now. Think of it, Zer0. You will have your greatest challenge yet, and you'll have enough riches to fund any project. Even if you won't do it, I'll find someone who will."

Zer0 looked back at Whitaker. He'd known him for about eight years, while he only met the Vault Hunters a year ago. Zer0 and him had taken down hundreds of targets, cleared dozens of buildings. Even after Whitaker got out, he still supplied Zer0 with resources, challenges, and contacts. He's the reason Zer0 ever got to Pandora. Even so, Zer0 and the Vault Hunters had accomplished enormous feats together. They reorganized the Crimson Raiders, conquered the beasts of Pandora, killed Handsome Jack, and destroyed the Warrior. They had and they continued to do the impossible.

Zer0 weighed his options, thinking about who he owed more. He couldn't seem to truly decide where his loyalties were at. He thought about the times the Vault Hunters all just hung out, talked, and relaxed. The missions they went on, the time they bonded, and the lives they saved. And Zer0 thought how well they all knew each other. And the fact that none of them even knew his damn name. "How much for their deaths," Zer0 asked, "I will see to it they die."

Whitaker chuckled and patted on Zer0 on the shoulder. "Now that's the man I know."


	3. Chapter 3

Zer0 stepped out of the cargo doors, outside, and back into the fray. He noticed that most troops were either dead or elsewhere. Just as he began moving, he heard a thunderous crash nearby. Zer0 began moving to it, knowing Gaige had finally "landed" the Buzzard. Most of the troops had already begun to swarm her crash.

Zer0 stepped into Decepti0n, his hologram charging into the loaders. Zer0 drew his sniper rifle and began connecting shots, killing two or three at a time. As he moved closer, he drew his katana. He held his katana and sniper in the same hand and a pistol in the other. He fired his pistol and swung his katana, shooting with his sniper rifle simultaneously. He cut a path through the loaders, reaching the downed aircraft. As his cloak went down, he looked into the craft. "Gaige, are you in there/we have multiple targets/Assistance please."

Zero turned to see a loader looming over him. Before he could draw his katana, a metal claw came from above and dragged through its front, destroying it. Zer0 sidestepped the falling machine and looked to the roof of the Buzzard. Gaige stood there with an assault rifle in one hand and two grenades in the other. "C'mon you sons of bitches," she yelled as she threw the grenades, "Let me hear you scream!" Zer0 leapt atop the crash, beside Gaige.

They fired into the masses of loaders, each shot hitting its mark. Zer0, Gaige, and her Deathtrap fought viscously against the Hyperion forces. Zer0 with his sniper rifle and katana, Gaige with an assault rifle and shotgun, and Deathtrap with its claws, lasers, rockets, and so forth. Zer0 had to admit, that thing was awesome. After about twenty minutes, nearly all of their ammo, and relocating about eighty feet, Gaige and Zer0 were alone, with piles of corpses of men and machines everywhere. Zero had a laceration on his left arm, going up his shoulder. His suit would release bio foam to cleanse and cover the wound, accelerating the time to heal.

"My arm is wounded/I will have to mend it later/any injuries?" Zer0 looked to Gaige, who was swaying and held an arm over her stomach. She gave him a bubbly smile, and then said, "You're not bleeding red. You're bleeding blue," she giggled, pointing at him, "That's silly. You're silly." She passed out and collapsed onto the floor, her arms falling at her side, revealing a crimson hole in stomach. Zer0 dashed toward her, cradling her head in one hand and inspecting the wound with the other.

Zer0 cursed, seeing the depth of the wound. Her hoodie was soaked in blood, showing she'd been shot a little while back and just not brought it up. Zer0 shook his head and raised her shirt so he could see her belly. The hole was still surging with blood, and as Zer0 ran his hand on her back, he couldn't feel an exit wound. Zer0 pulled a roll of gauze out to mend the wound until he got her on the ship where there would be more medical supplies.

Halfway through wrapping her, he suddenly stopped. Only now did the thought of leaving Gaige there occur to Zer0. He could just walk away, leave in the ship, lie to the rest and start on a new Vault Hunter. He could easily just leave Gaige to bleed to death in the canyon, where the wildlife and sands would do away with the body. As he said earlier, none of them knew his name. It was their mistake to put one of their friend's lives in the hands of someone who was basically a stranger.

Zer0 looked down to the possibly dying girl in his arms. There was someone who was only eighteen years old when she accomplished feats that others will remember for generations. There was a girl who cut off her arm to create her own personalized weapon. There was a person who believed more in anarchy and friends than anything else. Zer0 grunted, and continued to wrap her wound. She deserved a better death, was all. Zer0 wasn't losing his nerve. He'd kill her later, just not now.

After the wound was wrapped, Zero lifted her with both of his arms and began carrying her to the ship. He thought about the job offer on the way there. The reward was five hundred billion dollars for each, with a bonus trillion for them all. With that much money, Zer0 could start his own business, run it into the ground, and bring it back. Though, what Zer0 planned was much more profitable. He'd start a small assassination guild. Sure, Zer0 enjoyed a challenge, but some jobs were too simple but paid large amounts of money. For those missions, he'd have his understudies carry them out. Zer0 would have only the most challenging missions, keeping his thrill for life well and alive.

As Zer0 reached the ship, his mind settled on much more current issues, such as the bleeding ally in his arms and leaving the area. He quickly found a med bay and placed Gaige, connecting her to plasma and anesthesia, and resealing the wound. Zer0 then sprinted to the control room and started up the ship. He set course for Sanctuary, but because the ship was large and old, it would take time. Zer0 was displeased by how far away they were from anything else, causing the lack of Fast Travel Stations.

Zer0 finished up, and then ran through the ship, returning once again at the med bay. He removed the seals, cleansed the wound, and set to work on removing the bullet. He had a myriad of tools, but the work was still difficult. After about ten minutes, he finally removed the bullet. He gave her an insta-heal, which only fixed the damaged organs. He wished he could do more, but had little expertise in the medical field, He covered the hole in bio foam and stepped back, knowing he did his part.

Zer0 sat down in a chair next to the bed. If they were lucky, she'd be fine. He shook his head, knowing that was wrong. If Gaige was lucky, she'd be fine. If Zer0 was lucky, well, she'd be dead before landing. Zer0 just thought he'd let her and the bio foam decide. Zer0 sat up in his chair, looking at the bio foam. It was definitely white. Then why did Gaige say he was bleeding blue?

He looked at his arm and saw that his arm was stained deep blue and that a more vibrant blue was still trickling from his arm. He quickly covered it, and then remembered no one else was there. He looked again, seeing the wound, but with no bio foam. Zer0 figured it out, saying it aloud. "My suit is broken/the visor must be the cause/Thus the lack of foam." He grabbed a canister and quickly filled the wound, submerging it in a very light blue. Usually it became pink with the white foam and red blood.

Zer0 returned to control room and sat at the command position. His suit was beginning to fall apart, and rightfully so. He'd been negligent about repairing and restoring it. He'd have to use his emergency suit, one he had only if the other suit was destroyed. He'd let Gaige run her tests and programs on his damaged suit, and then repair it. He'd have to be extremely careful in his suit though, as that was his only back up.

He began thinking about whether or not he'd be able to kill his friends. Zer0 thought about who they were to him and what he was to them. After a little bit, he concluded that, yes, they were friends. But even friends can be killed. Zer0 watched the outside world as it sped by. It looked like he'd just have to wait and see if he could and how he'd do it.


End file.
